PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen Self-Fund European Tour After SAI Withholds Badminton Funding

European Tour Financial Burden Forces Shuttlers to Self-Fund

Indian badminton stars PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen had to finance their own campaign during a European tour after the Sports Authority of India declined to fund the contingent. The team competed across Europe without official backing, covering tournaments over the past four weeks. The financial hurdle required athletes to cover travel, food, accommodation, and other expenses out of their own pockets. Sindhu relied on personal funds and backing from Olympic Gold Quest to complete the trip, while other players competed without coaching staff in their corners during matches.

Administrative Tussle Triggers Funding Withdrawal

According to a report by The Indian Express, the financial backing was pulled as a result of an administrative dispute. The publication added that the athletes were notified of the choice prior to the Arctic Open, which kicked off on October 6 in Vantaa, Finland. The national daily reported that three officials claimed support was withdrawn following India’s performance at the Asian Games 2026 in Nagoya, where the team secured a single bronze in the men’s team event and failed to win any individual medals for the first time since 2014. Unnamed sources noted that no official communication initially explained the decision, leading players to suspect a performance-based penalty since the badminton federation had not exceeded its budget limits. Sources noted, This is the first time such a thing has happened. There was no official communication explaining why this step was taken. It is suspected that the decision is linked to performance because, in terms of budget, it is not the case that the badminton federation has exceeded the limit.

A senior Sports Authority of India official categorically denied that funding was stopped due to performance. The official instead blamed the Badminton Association of India for failing to submit funding proposals within the stipulated 30-day revised timeline, noting that guidelines require player names and tournament details submitted in advance to process public funds. The official stated, Earlier, the rules required federations to submit proposals 90 days in advance without names and 60 days in advance with the names. This was primarily because you could plan your trip well in advance. But the federation said it could not do it that early, so we revised the deadline to 30 days. Even then, we did not receive the proposal. These new guidelines apply to everybody. If we don’t have the proposal with the names 30 days before a tournament, we will not process it.

Resilient Shuttlers Capture Titles Despite Setbacks

Despite the lack of institutional financial support, Indian players delivered standout performances throughout the European swing. I hadn’t faced something like that before. Sindhu reached the final of the French Open and won the Hylo Open 2026. The Arctic Open in Finland saw 26 Indian players compete without any withdrawals. Six players pulled out of the Denmark Open in Odense, seven from the French Open in Paris, and nine from the Hylo Open.

Questions Remain Over Future Reimbursements and Federation Deadlines

The Sports Authority of India official stated that funding will be restored for forthcoming tournaments. Concurrently, officials verified that competitors will not receive refunds for out-of-pocket costs spent on European competitions throughout the previous four weeks.